Toronto, Ontario
Michael (Mike) Babin has a passion for ensuring the Veterans of the Battle of Hong Kong are remembered. Mike has been a member of the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association (HKVCA) for almost 20 years.
Mike is the son of Hong Kong Veteran Alfred Babin. After retirement in 2004, Mike became involved with the HKVCA. In 2006, Mike became Regional Director of the association for Ontario, and also served on the HKVCA National Board of Directors. In 2018, Mike was elected as president of the HKVCA. His leadership within the HKVCA has been characterized by the promotion of remembrance through lived experience and focuses on educating the members as well as the Canadian public. His diplomatic skills have been valuable as he works with the five regions of the HKVCA, each with differing priorities. He has forged great relationships with the Royal Canadian Military Institute and the Association for the Preservation of the History of the Second World War in Asia.
Mike has organized several pilgrimages to Hong Kong and Japan for members of the HKVCA, taking on all aspects of the planning. Those who attend are often descendants of those who fought and died in the battle or became prisoners of war in the battle. To them, these pilgrimages are quite meaningful and emotional.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mike led the way in organizing virtual events. He brought in experts in various aspects of the Hong Kong Veteran experience. Those attending the live virtual events were able to interact with the experts and gain a greater understanding and insight into the subject matter. The virtual events were met with great enthusiasm not only for those who attended live, but also those who were able to watch the taped sessions online afterwards. There have been over a dozen virtual events to date. Due to their popularity and educational value, virtual events have continued post-pandemic.